1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cleaning supplies. More particularly, and not by way of limitation, the present invention is directed to a cleaning towel having a color label to identify the area in which the cleaning towel is to be utilized, and a sanitizer release polymer composition that maintains the effectiveness of a cleaning solution.
2. Description of Related Art
For a variety of reasons, it has been difficult for many individuals to easily identify and use the proper tool drawn from a collection of similar tools for use on a specific task. This problem is especially evident in the restaurant industry. A common tool used in the restaurant business is a towel. However, for obvious hygienic reasons, different towels are used for different tasks and different areas within the restaurant. For example, specific towels are used to clean the restrooms, other towels are used for cleaning the dining area, while still other towels are used in the kitchen area. However, to many employees, there is no easy way to differentiate which towel is to be used in which area of the restaurant. Additionally, many employees in the restaurant may not be able to read a label or easily understand which towel should be used in a specific area. The supervisors of these employees, although overseeing the employees, also may not be able to easily identify which towel is being used by the employee. Thus it is difficult for employees, as well as supervisors, to easily identify the proper towel for the proper task in the restaurant.
In various industries, there are numerous examples where labeling and coding techniques have been used to distinguish selected tools for use on specific tasks. For example, in the restaurant industry, labels have been applied to towels or other tools used in the restaurant. However, as discussed above, some employees may be illiterate, and other employees, although able to read in one language, are not able to read the language of the labels. In other industries, such as the transportation industry, color coding has been used to identify various goods. For example, hazardous cargo is sometimes identified by a series of red stripes displayed on the outer surface of a container holding the hazardous cargo. However, although the red stripes may be easy for many employees to identify, some employees are color blind and may not be able to easily recognize the hazardous cargo. In other industries, internationally recognized symbols have been used to convey information about particular products. For example, the familiar xe2x80x9cskull and cross bonesxe2x80x9d has been used to identify poisonous materials. However, for tools such as towels in a restaurant, international symbols may become obscured by grease or dirt. In addition, it may be inconvenient to have to spread out a towel to locate an international symbol each time the towel is going to be used.
Review of current cleaning towels utilized in restaurants reveals no disclosure or suggestion of a cleaning towel that provides a solution to the aforementioned problems. Thus, it would be a distinct advantage to have a cleaning towel that identifies the area of the restaurant where each towel is supposed to be used, even when various employees using the towels may be illiterate, may speak and read different languages, or may be color-blind. It is an object of the present invention to provide such a cleaning towel.
Another problem encountered in restaurants is the control of microbial growth on surfaces such as tables, kitchen counters, and bathroom fixtures. To control microbial growth on a surface, a cleaning solution containing antimicrobials such as sanitizers is applied to the surface with a woven or nonwoven fabric. A sanitizer is a compound that reduces microbial contaminants to safe levels as determined by government Public Health requirements. Currently, the safe level is a 99.999% reduction in the bacterial count.
For the process to be effective, the cleaning solution must maintain a certain concentration of sanitizer. A serious problem occurs when the woven or nonwoven fabric of the cleaning towel dilutes the concentration of sanitizer in the cleaning solution. For example, a nonwoven fabric is repeatedly rinsed in a cleaning solution contained in a bucket, while cleaning the table top surfaces of a restaurant. If the nonwoven fabric is diluting the sanitizer in the cleaning solution, then the table top surfaces are not being disinfected. This can lead to an outbreak of pathogenic enteric bacteria, such as nearly all members of the genus Salmonella or E. coli. Pathogenic enteric bacteria can cause illness, or worse death.
The two most common sanitizers in cleaning solutions are quaternary ammonium compound (QAC)-based or chlorine-based sanitizers. A QAC is an ion, that is a molecule that carries an electric charge. More specifically, a QAC is a cation, that is an ion that posses a positive charge. A nonionic molecule is an ion that posses a neutral charge. An anion is an ion that posses a negative charge. The charge of a molecule affects that molecule""s intermolecular interactions. For example, a cation is attracted to an anion, and a cation repels another cation.
Nonwoven fabrics in common use today with cleaning solutions are made with anionic binders and surfactants. The negative charge of the anionic binders and surfactants utilized in nonwoven fabrics attracts and bonds the cationic QAC-based sanitizer to the fabric thereby diluting and neutralizing the concentration of sanitizer in the cleaning solution. Moreover, woven fabrics comprise many interwoven strands of material, thereby creating a large irregular surface area that captures a large number of cationic QACs during use, thereby diluting the concentration of sanitizer in the cleaning solution. Existing methods to solve this problem are to regularly replace the cleaning solution or regularly replenish the concentration of sanitizer. However, these existing methods are not without limitations.
These existing methods are time consuming and expensive. Regularly monitoring and replacing or replenishing the cleaning solution involves considerable employee time and the expense associated with replacing or replenishing the cleaning solution. Additionally, during busy times in many restaurants, replacement or replenishment of the cleaning solution is often forgotten, resulting in insufficient levels, of microbial reduction.
Therefore, a need has arisen for a cleaning towel having a sanitizer release polymer composition that is capable of preventing today""s fabrics from bonding to sanitizer. Further, a need has arisen for a towel made from a fabric that does not bond to or neutralize the sanitizer. It is an object of the present invention to provide such a cleaning towel.
In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a cleaning towel utilized to clean in one of a plurality of areas in a restaurant. The towel includes a substrate with a sanitizer release polymer composition bound thereto. The substrate may be, for example, a woven, nonwoven, or knit fabric, a foam or sponge, or the like. The sanitizer release polymer composition may include at least one cationic surfactant. Preferably, the cationic surfactant is present in the sanitizer release polymer composition in an amount of about 1 to about 10 weight percent, based on a total weight of the sanitizer release polymer composition. The sanitizer release polymer composition may also include at least one nonionic co-surfactant. The towel also includes a color label on the surface of the towel to identify the area of the restaurant in which the cleaning towel is to be utilized. Optionally, the towel may include an international icon, a tactile label, and/or a label in a plurality of languages identifying the area where the towel is to be utilized.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a restaurant cleaning towel that includes a substrate which is preferably a nonwoven fabric having a nonwoven surface with a sanitizer release polymer composition bound thereto. In this embodiment, the sanitizer release polymer composition comprises at least one nonionic surfactant. The towel also includes a color label on the surface of the towel to identify the area of the restaurant in which the cleaning towel is to be utilized.
In yet another aspect, the present invention is directed to a restaurant cleaning towel utilized to clean in one of a plurality of areas in a restaurant. The towel includes a substrate with a sanitizer release polymer composition bound to a least a portion of the surface of the substrate. The sanitizer release polymer composition preferably comprises at least one cationic surfactant which may be present in the sanitizer release polymer composition in an amount of about 0.1 to about 99 weight percent, based on a total weight of the sanitizer release polymer composition. The cleaning towel also includes a color label on the surface of the towel to identify the area of the restaurant in which the cleaning towel is to be utilized. The label has a configuration and size that are operable to be readily recognized from a distance by an individual supervising an employee using the towel.